The present invention relates to a bicycle handlebar and, more particularly, to an injection molded plastic handlebar for a bicycle.
Several attempts have been made to replace conventional metal bicycle parts with plastic parts which have the advantage of being lightweight and economical to manufacture. However, as a result of the molded parts often being formed with a specialized configuration, components such as brake levers and shift mechanisms for mounting to the molded parts must also be of a specialized design such that conventional hardware is not usable with the plastic molded parts.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,522 to Robinson discloses molded hand grip members which are designed to be mounted to opposite ends of a handlebar cross member and which are each designed to accommodate a pair of brake levers and a shift lever. The levers are especially designed to fit within the handlebar structure. In addition, this design requires assembly between the hand grip members and the cross tube, and the junction between the cross tube and a stem member results in the formation of a location about which the hand grip members may rotate during use of the bicycle.
U.K. Patent Application No. 2138755 discloses a molded plastic handlebar having opposing hand grip portions formed in the shape of loops. The hand grip portions are each provided with recesses for receiving specially designed brake levers. In addition, a metal tube is embedded within the body of the handlebar for engaging a clamp portion of a steering column such that the handlebar is pivotable in a vertical direction relative to the steering column.
While the above-described designs for molded bicycle handlebars provide a lightweight alternative to conventional bicycle handlebars, these designs also require special components which depart from the use of hardware typically used with handlebars having a conventional design and thus increase the requirements for parts and tooling to produce a completed handlebar. In addition, the abovedescribed designs permit rotational movement of the handlebars about a horizontal axis such that inadvertent movement of the handlebar about the horizontal axis may occur during use of the bicycle.
Accordingly, there is a need for a molded handlebar which is adapted to be used with conventional hardware for mounting the handlebar and for controlling operation of the brake and shift mechanisms. In addition, there is a need for a molded handlebar which is adapted to be mounted to a standard steering column of a bicycle and which ensures stable positioning of the handlebar.